Chapter 44: Boom

"Attention, all police officers! Attention, all police officers! We have reports of terrorists on Twelfth Street. Immediate backup required!"

The overweight police officer glanced at his colleague in cyan, his boss's urgent message blaring from his pager.

He looked up and saw a towering figure, Destroyer Joel, wreaking havoc less than a hundred meters away. The fat officer couldn't help but shed a tear.

"Backup? Seriously? Can't the damn city be peaceful for once?" he muttered.

The entire street descended into chaos with the appearance of the monster, causing a traffic jam as people abandoned their cars and fled with their families.

Screams, pleas for help, and the sound of destruction filled the air, fueling fear.

Several police cars arrived, and heavily armed officers surrounded the area with their weapons.

"Team A, evacuate the crowd. Teams B and C, follow me to neutralize the threats... What on earth is that creature?"

The arriving police officers also caught sight of Destroyer Joel, leaving them in disbelief.

"What is it? A zombie? A zombie capable of using trucks as weapons? Is the world going mad?"

Destroyer Joel took notice of the police presence, raising a truck above his head and hurling it forward.

"Spread out! Take cover!" shouted the commanding officer.

Rumbling!

The twenty-five-ton truck plummeted, causing a violent shockwave that dragged nearby vehicles with it. Several slow-moving officers and pedestrians were caught in the chaos, narrowly avoiding being crushed.

"Damn it! Shoot at it! Kill this beast!" the furious sheriff ordered upon witnessing the casualties among his men and innocent bystanders.

In response to the attack command, all armed police officers loaded their weapons and aimed at Destroyer Joel.

Bullets made of metal rained down on the creature, but none of them could penetrate its skin. They simply bounced off harmlessly.

"Roar! Roar!"

Destroyer Joel, provoked by the futile assault, let out a thunderous roar. He leaped into the sky, reaching a height of over thirty meters, before crashing down like a cannonball into the midst of the police.

Boom!

The ground shook violently, cracks formed, and the cars beneath Destroyer Joel were reduced to twisted metal. He charged at a police officer, sending them flying dozens of meters away.

"I can't believe my eyes! How can there be monsters like this?" exclaimed a bewildered officer.

The overweight policeman, standing less than twenty meters away from Destroyer Joel, had already fired his pistol. However, the small weapon posed no threat and only drew the monster's attention towards him.

Having passed through several officers, Destroyer Joel turned his gaze towards the overweight man.

Huh, a chubby little snack!

"Oh no, this monster is targeting me!" The overweight officer felt his pants dampen as fear gripped him. Summoning a burst of strength, he turned and sprinted, running as fast as an Olympic sprinter.

"I've had enough! I'm quitting! I'd rather give up my life as a cop! Even if I have to jump off a building, I won't spend another day as a policeman!"

The overweight officer ran frantically, but his speed couldn't match that of Destroyer Joel.

In the blink of an eye, the monster jumped once more, raised its fist in the air, and swung it towards the overweight officer.

If that punch connected, the officer would be smashed into a pulp.

"God, Jesus, Lord Buddha, help!" the overweight officer cried out, crawling and taking cover behind a taxi. But could the taxi withstand the force of that monstrous creature? It seemed like a futile dream.

The next moment, a loud noise reverberated from a distance, shattering glass on both sides of the street.

As Destroyer Joel swung his fist, a black figure appeared before him, retaliating with a punch of its own.

Huh!!

The two fists collided mid-air, creating a powerful shockwave that rippled outward.

The overweight officer's hefty frame shook slightly, realizing he was unharmed. He cautiously peered out from his hiding spot.

Before him stood a man dressed in black tights, his cloak billowing in the strong wind. Though his attire had changed, his face remained familiar.

He was Avenger!

A formidable protector of the city!

"Thank God, thank Jesus, thank Buddha! Thank the Avenger!" The overweight officer wept tears of joy, feeling as if he had found his own father in the form of this heroic figure.

"Take that!"

With a confident battle cry, Diana, adorned as Wonder Woman, descended from the sky wielding the sword of Vulcan. As she approached Destroyer Joel, she drew her sword and struck the creature's back with a powerful blow.

Joel the Destroyer howled in anger, swiftly turning around and throwing a punch at Diana.

Diana's expression turned solemn as she shielded herself and blocked the punch.

A booming sound echoed as Diana was sent flying, propelled by the force of the blow. However, she gracefully flipped mid-air and landed steadily on the ground.

"Dare to harm my family? Have you forgotten about me?" proclaimed the figure stepping forward. With his left hand, he grasped the opponent's arm, while his right hand clenched into a fist, aiming squarely at Destroyer Joel's face.

Huh! Huh! Huh! ...

Each punch landed with earth-shattering force, causing the ground to tremble. Li Ya delivered five or six blows to Destroyer Joel's face, turning it into an unrecognizable mess.

Yet, despite the onslaught, the creature's facial cells multiplied rapidly, transforming the initially gruesome appearance into a scene resembling a car crash.

Meanwhile, tiny spines sprouted along the wound on its back after it had healed.

"Well, isn't this guy suspiciously similar to Doom Day? And it's the original form of Doom Day!" Li Ya muttered, growing increasingly perplexed.

According to various versions, Doom Day was an ancient super creature originating from the Ancient era. Some even suggested that during the expansion of Kryton, Doom Day was created as the ultimate weapon for warfare.

There were even claims that a small number of Doom Day genes were incorporated into genetically engineered soldier infants like Zode. This led to instances where General Zode became a version of Doom Day (Batman v Superman).

Doom Day was initially weak upon its first appearance, but each time it died, it would return in a stronger form than before.

"Bastard, could it be that this guy is the Kryptonian individual named Joel Lal? He serves under Zod and possesses the same warrior genes!" Li Ya suddenly had a realization and voiced his thoughts.